


The spinsterhood of Ms. Whitney Dean

by bennysparks



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Callum is an annoying treasure, Enemies to Friends, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 10:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20777264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bennysparks/pseuds/bennysparks
Summary: Ben is waiting for his mother to hand him a sausage roll across the counter at the caff—even has an off-colour remark prepared, just to watch her roll her eyes—when the door swings open and Whitney Dean sweeps inside.She scowls when she sees him. "Your boyfriend is doing my head in."





	The spinsterhood of Ms. Whitney Dean

Ben is waiting for his mother to hand him a sausage roll across the counter at the caff—even has an off-colour remark prepared, just to watch her roll her eyes—when the door swings open and Whitney Dean sweeps inside.

She scowls when she sees him. "Your boyfriend is doing my head in."

"I'm sorry?" Ben coughs. "Don't you usually have this conversation with _ him _ about _ me?" _

"Not being in the mood to date right now doesn't mean I'm going to be an angry old spinster."

"Wait," Ben says. "Did Callum actually say that?"

"No, but it was implied."

"I'm pretty sure Cal wouldn't imply _ that." _

Kathy returns to the counter, handing over a warm sausage roll in a paper bag. "Here you go, love. Anything else for you?"

"Ta, Mum. Just whatever Whit's having."

Both Kathy and Whitney look surprised at that. He smiles and tries to look sincere about it. "All right," Kathy says, drawing it out. She looks at Whitney. "Whitney. What can I get you?"

"Uh, just a coffee, Kath. Thanks."

"Coming right up." Kathy turns to the side and pours a cup of coffee, handing it to Whitney afterwards. She rings everything in and Ben passes her a couple quid to cover everything.

"This is Callum we're talking about." Ben turns and shuffles along the aisle to the nearest empty table without bothering to check that she's following him; Callum complains that he expects everyone to act like his little ducklings whenever he takes off. "Callum just wants you to be happy, Whit."

Whitney pauses, clearly uncertain, before sitting. She probably hadn't meant to stay and talk to him. She looks over at the door before turning back to him and taking a long sip of coffee with her eyes closed. "I know," she says. "Of course I know that. It's Callum. He's—I mean, he's Callum."

"Your lips to God's ears."

"I just wish he wasn't carrying around all this guilt still. The wedding was a year ago."

"He holds onto all of this stuff forever." There is always a part of Ben that gets worried when Callum starts fixating like this, particularly when Whitney is involved. There is always this voice saying that maybe Callum is going to wake up one morning and go back to her. But Ben is being very good, reminding himself to think of that voice as Stella, that monster, and push it away. He isn't going to bring it up, isn't going to accuse Whitney of anything. "Dare I ask what he's _ actually _ been saying?"

"At first I thought he was trying to—you know, be more open. About men. Like, when we're out, he'll comment on blokes."

"I got him to admit he thinks Taron Egerton is hot the other week. Honestly the best moment of my life."

Whitney chuckles. "I thought that's what we were doing, right? Like, 'oi, he's a bit of all right.' But then he's like, 'You should go talk to him.' Or 'what about that one?' He's, like, evaluating every man within five miles in case one of them is 'good enough' for me."

"Honestly, he's lucky he's so fucking cute."

"It's just a lot of pressure, isn't it?"

"You could always date Jay, next time Lola dumps him. Believe me, I've done extensive testing and he is one hundred percent straight."

"No thank you, I don't need Lola skinning me alive." Whitney blinks and clears her throat. "How's all that whole four-parent thing going, anyway? Callum was saying Lex has been staying over with the two of you more often."

"I think she's decided we're the fun ones—which, fair, we are."

"Everything okay?"

Ben waves the question away. "I think she's been mouthing off at Lo a bit." He slumps forward, leaning on the table top. "Honestly, being a Mitchell—I have no idea what's normal mouthing off and what's _ excessive. _ She listens to Jay and Callum, at least, even when she's ready to set Lo and me on fire."

"We talked about having kids, but not _ really, _not seriously," Whitney says. "He always seemed so anxious about everything."

_ Well, now you know why, _ Ben doesn't say. "Do _ you _ want them?"

Whitney is clearly surprised that he would ask— he has a really clear memory of standing in the park, talking to her and Callum (when it was Callum-and-Whitney, not Ben-and-Callum) and cracking a joke about only having a kid to prove he was straight. The look of mortification on Cal's face… maybe Whit is remembering that day too, and a million other snide comments back then. "I guess," she says eventually, mouth tight. "With the right person."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to join his crusade to find you a man."

She relaxes when he says it. "It's not that I don't appreciate it or understand it but he's being—" She stops herself and Ben can't parse out why. Because she's talking about _ Callum _ in front of him? Because she's talking to _ Ben? _ "He kept trying to talk to me right after the wedding."

"I remember."

"I just wanted to be miserable for a bit."

Ben nods. He finds that he wants to—what? Reach out? Lace their fingers together? Be comforting? "Callum seems like a waffler," he says instead. Boundaries. "But he's very determined."

"He's a menace. Can't he just bother you?"

"Now that he's out he has to put all that energy into other things."

"You know," Whit says, gulping at her coffee. "I used to be so angry at you. Now I look back and I can't fathom not knowing. Especially after Johnny! I should have seen it."

Ben doesn't say anything, or do anything. He bites into his sausage roll. He remembers her yelling at him, threatening him, after Callum told her he'd cheated. He didn't say anything in that moment either, went limp, let Whitney scream at him.

"I'll have a word," he says. "Or I'll talk Shirley into having a word."

"He _ is _ terrified of her."

"As well he should be."

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of only want to write Established Relationship stories about the boys.
> 
> Also, I need to write more Kathy???


End file.
